


my heart is bound to beat right out my whole darn chest

by rajkumari905



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-03
Updated: 2011-08-03
Packaged: 2017-10-22 04:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/233579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rajkumari905/pseuds/rajkumari905
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>It was amazing how he could be so consumed by something he hadn't even known he'd wanted a week ago.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	my heart is bound to beat right out my whole darn chest

Cook was kind of tired from the flight, so he was only half-listening to whatever Neal was saying to him as they walked to the baggage claim in Salt Lake City's airport. He wasn't paying too much attention to anything until he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Cook!"

It sounded like--but no, it couldn't be. Then again, they _were_ in Utah, so it could very well be.

He spun around.

It _was_.

David Archuleta was running up to him, leaving his spot in the security line. Cook felt a grin crossing his face automatically, and he couldn't have wiped it away if he'd tried. As he waited for David to get to him, he couldn't help but notice how much older David looked now. He'd grown and filled out--he wasn't the same kid Cook had competed against on Idol.

Cook put his arms out as David got close and David didn't stop, slamming into Cook's body with a force that made Cook 'oof'. David giggled a little against his shoulder and Cook squeezed him fondly. Some things, at least, didn't change.

David's eyes were bright as he pulled away to greet the rest of the band, before turning back to Cook.

"I'm so glad I spotted you," David beamed. "Well, actually, I saw Neal and then I saw your guitar case."

"How long do you have until your flight?" Cook asked before he could stop himself. There was always a time limit.

"Twenty minutes? Maybe half an hour if I run?" David said.

"Okay," Cook said, and pulled David in the direction of a small coffee shop. "You have half an hour to tell me what you've been up to."

"No, fifteen minutes," David said. "I want to hear what you've been doing too!"

They spent about twenty minutes just catching up, talking about David's book tour and Cook's recording sessions, with the band interjecting every now and then.

David seemed even more fidgety than usual, and also more intent, gazing at Cook's face enough that Cook kind of wanted to blush. Cook couldn't put his finger on the differences until, during a pause in conversation, David said quietly, "Cook can I- um. Can I talk to you for a second, in- in private?"

Cook raised his eyebrows but followed David from the coffee shop and--to his surprise--into a bathroom.

"I-" David started, and then stopped.

Cook waited, utterly mystified. Finally, David's face became oddly determined and he stepped right up to Cook, who backed into the wall instinctively.

Before he knew what was happening, one of David's hands found its way to the back of his neck, while the other rested lightly against his chest, and David's face was only inches away from Cook's and then David was kissing him.

Cook was completely frozen for a few seconds, his mind blank with shock as David's lips moved gently against his.

He knew, vaguely, that he had to do _something_ and as images of things that he hadn't even known he wanted swarmed his brain, it quickly became clear to him that pushing David away was simply not an option. So he did the only thing that made sense.

He kissed David back.

He rested one hand against the small of David's back, bringing the other up to cup his face. The kiss was slow, tentative, exploring, and after ten seconds or so, they pulled apart.

David was flushed and nervous-looking, and it suddenly hit Cook what had just happened. Overwhelmed, he pulled David into him, wrapping his arms tight around his body. David gave what might have been a sigh of relief against his throat and for a few minutes they just stood there, each lost in their own thoughts.

Then suddenly, David said, "I, I have to go."

Cook blinked, on the point of protesting before he remembered that David had a flight to catch. There wasn't anything he wanted to do less than let David go, but he slowly loosened his grip.

Only when David was standing in front of him once more did the confusion hit him.

"But, wait..." Cook said and then stopped, not even knowing what to ask.

"I-" David said. "I'll call you tonight, okay? I promise."

Cook nodded dumbly and David squeezed his hand quickly and then he was gone.

It was a few minutes until Cook had gathered himself enough to follow him out and return to the band.

\--------------------------------

True to his word, David called him later that night, by which time Cook had had plenty of time to run those ten minutes through his head over and over, not that it had helped his confusion much.

"What the hell happened today?" Cook asked in lieu of hello.

"Um..." David said, sounding tired, which he probably was. It was two hours later on the East Coast, Cook suddenly realized. "I guess I should- I've liked you for a really long time, Cook, and I just. I didn't know when I would see you again, and I wasn't expecting to see you in the first place, and I- I guess I didn't even think about it, I just, um. Acted."

Cook was silent, processing this, though his mind was kind of stuck on _I've liked you for a really long time_.

"I'm sorry," David said softly, and he sounded miserable.

 _That_ snapped Cook out of his reverie and he responded firmly. "I'm not."

"You- you're not?" David asked his voice tentative and a little hopeful.

"No, I'm not," Cook said. "David, I've got to be honest here, I've never really thought of you like that."

There was a soft "Oh" over the line but Cook continued. "But, God, David, ever since today, I can't _stop_ thinking about it." He paused. "I can't stop thinking about _you_."

Silence, and then David muttered, "Now you know how I feel."

Cook laughed, surprised, and something loosened inside his chest.

"I think we need to talk though, seriously, face to face. When are you back in LA?"

"Late Saturday night," David said.

"Okay. Then Sunday evening you come over, okay?"

"Sounds good," David said, and then yawned.

"Go sleep," Cook grinned. "You've got a big day ahead of you."

"Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Cook."

"Night, Arch," Cook said softly, and ended the call.

\--------------------------------

The next day, Cook still couldn't get his mind off of David. During the concert, he couldn't resist bringing him up, and then, judging from the look Neal was giving him, he talked about him way too long. After the show, he hung out in his hotel room restlessly for a while and then gave up and called David.

David picked up on the first ring and sounded so happy to hear from him that Cook had to grin. He listened to David gush about the Children's Miracle Network and the White House and the amazing kids he'd met and as he listened, he imagined David's face, animated with his excitement. Something burned inside his chest and Sunday couldn't have gotten there soon enough.

\--------------------------------

They ended up talking on the phone every day and texting a whole lot on top of that, and each day, Cook's need to see David again became stronger. It was amazing how he could be so consumed by something he hadn't even known he'd wanted a week ago.

By the time Sunday rolled around, Cook was practically vibrating with nervous energy. It was clear that his and David's relationship was about to cross the point of no return, and Cook thought that a long talk was in order, so they could figure out what they both wanted, and whether it was a good idea to allow their friendship to evolve. Even as he pondered these things though, Cook knew that he wouldn't be able to see David as just a friend ever again, knew he'd never be able to forget that kiss in the bathroom.

He was staring unseeingly at the TV in the living room when the doorbell rang.

"It's open!" he called, even as he started to head for the door, his eagerness mounting by the second.

He was about four feet away from the door when David opened it and let himself in. For an instant, they regarded each other, and then, as if drawn by a sudden magnetic pull, they simultaneously closed the distance between them, meeting in the middle. Their mouths touched first, followed by the rest of their bodies, and in a matter of moments, they were completely locked together, David's hands in Cook's hair and Cook's hands wrapped around David's torso.

As gentle as the last kiss they'd shared had been, this kiss was fast and deep and hard. Cook couldn't even _think_ beyond David's mouth and hands, and he wanted more, more, more. He backed David against the wall and gently extricated David's hands from his hair, never breaking the kiss. He tangled their fingers together on both hands, pushing David's hands up so they were on either side of his head, pressed against the wall. He backed away then, just slightly, to look at David.

David's eyes were dark and his face was flushed and his lips were _already fucking swollen_ and he was so fucking gorgeous that Cook couldn't _breathe_.

" _God_ , David," Cook whispered, and when David strained forward to kiss him again, Cook tilted his head and met him halfway. He released David's hands in favor of sliding his hands down David's sides, and David's arms immediately wound their way around his neck.

And it was like--now that he'd started kissing David, he wasn't going to stop, he _couldn't_ stop. Cook wondered vaguely how he was going to go on tour if he couldn't seem to stop kissing David Archuleta for five seconds.

And then suddenly, David was--David was _unbuttoning his shirt_ and Cook didn't even know what to think. They were slowly but surely making their way further into the house, and Cook's hands were sliding up the back of David's shirt despite the fact that he didn't remember deciding to do that. And this was--he didn't want David to regret this later! Surely this was too fast, they needed to think this through.

He pulled back and gasped, "I wanted you to come over so we could _talk_."

"We can talk _later_ ," David insisted, and started to tug Cook in the direction of his bedroom.

Later, Cook decided as he leaned in to kiss David again, sounded pretty awesome to him too. After all, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Like how he was going to get David to make that noise again.

(Later, as it turned out, didn't come until after the second round, by which point Cook felt that it was largely superfluous, considering that David was plastered half-asleep against his side.)


End file.
